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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · bore · roll · bulb · fork · wave · cold · press

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bore — to drill
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. drill — a practice
  11. roll — a list
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fork — in a road
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cold — not warm
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bore — to tire
  20. roll — a cake
  21. cold — an illness
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. press — to push

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com